Horse Emergency Evacuation Team

MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HORSE EMERGENCY EVACUATION TEAM JUNE 28, 2007

The meeting was convened at 6:30 PM, at Mission Community Bank in San Luis Obispo. Present were: Stuart and Susan McElhinney, Chris Shell, Robert Taylor and Anne Wall. There were several items of old business: 1. The minutes of the meeting of May 22, 2007, were read and approved as read. 2. The treasurer’s report was read and accepted, showing a balance available for operation of $929.67, as of June 15th. Chris Shell then reported an additional income of $1500 for the sale of the Knott saddle that day, as discussed in the next item of old business. 3. Chris reported that she had been called by Farm Supply and requested to remove the saddle from their SLO store within the next couple of weeks. Right after that, she received a call from a woman who wanted to purchase the saddle. It turns out that the woman’s first saddle had been a Knott saddle, which she is still using nearly 40 years later. She had to pay for half that first saddle when she was 13; she made the money by giving riding lessons for $1 per lesson. The original saddle cost $600, and it took a year to get from the date of order, as each saddle was individually crafted. She told Chris that Knott priced the saddles by the number of flowers tooled onto the fenders and that, at 13, she could only afford three flowers. Her “new” Knott saddle has 5! It was decided at the meeting that the money would be reserved for equipment purchases. 4. There was no update on the polo or tee shirts that were ordered at the general meeting, as Hank was going to follow up with Carolyn on the status of the shirts and Hank was not at the meeting. 5. Certificates of appreciation were shown and approved as to form. Susan and Stuart will get some better certificate paper and frames. Julie Monser was not available for an update on the plaque of appreciation previously discussed. 6. No news on Creston Rodeo. 7. No news on presentations for the Rescue Glides, as both Kathe Hustace and Julie Monser were not at the meeting. 8. The date of the Sheriff’s Family Day has not been established.

Then, we moved on to new business. There was a short discussion as to whether the BBQ was new business or old business, but the secretary had, by executive fiat, decided it would be new business, so that was that. 1. The BBQ was enjoyed by all, with some delicious potluck presentations being made by members, and excellent meat was provided by Hank. It was decided that we could have been a little more organized as to the starting time for the party. It was thought that a spring get-together and another one in the fall would be good for the group. A gathering in Montana de Oro at Horse Camp, along with some trail riding, was considered as a possible fun event. 2. Because of the high fire danger we are facing this year, it was decided that Chris and Julie would work on a flow chart of emergency procedures, to make it clear who does what and when they do it. It was noted that Julie Monser and Robert Taylor handle dispatch for S. County and that Ron Patterson is handling No. County, it was thought. Susan will contact Kathe Hustace about this. Staging Commanders need to be named. The flow chart, when complete, will be emailed to all members for their reference. 3. Anne Wall was elected to the Board by acclamation. She will serve as a member at large. Also, as an ordained clergyperson, she volunteered to help at any emergencies as a chaplain. She has had extensive experience in dealing with stressful situations. 4. It was decided that these minutes and all following minutes will be posted to the HEET website (sloheet.org), to enhance member awareness and involvement. 5. Under other new business, Stuart and Susan mentioned that they had seen a demonstration of a rescue glide used to remove a [model] horse from a tipped-over trailer. In that demo, the rescue personnel had a heavy foam cap to put on the horse to protect its head. They obtained the name of the manufacturer and will follow up to find out cost, etc.. It was decided that these would be good additions to the glides and that the money was available for purchase, due to the sale of the saddle. However, more information is needed prior to the actual purchase. 6. Susan noted that the rescue personnel emphasized the importance of NOT opening any doors in a tipped trailer, as the sudden influx of light will cause a trapped horse to attempt to escape the trailer, often with extremely dire results. If you can’t wait for a vet, only go into the trailer with something like a tarp or blanket covering you and the opening, to dim the light as much as possible. Please pass this information on to your friends, as it is contrary to our first impulses. 7. Hank Gratton has a calendar of dates for Board meetings, which we will post on the website as soon as they are available. Remember that all Board meetings are open to all members. 8. We have been invited to have a table at the Equine Center’s annual horse owners expo at the Embassy Suites on November 11. 9. Chris brought in a horse registration page about which she had several concerns. First, it does not appear to be the rather complete document we generally use. Second, it needs a disclaimer whether we can always get livestock out of danger. Third, it needs a waiver of liability for damage to any animal resulting from its evacuation. 10. We plan to send out a regular mailing to all members and registered horse owners, updating what’s happening with HEET, as well as updating their information regarding their horses and property. Susan agreed to draft the first letter. This will probably go by snail mail until we have developed a functional mailing list. 11. Shelter locations were identified in No. County as the Fairgrounds; Templeton Livestock Market; the Equine Center (SLO); and the Madonna Inn (the livestock area). In S. County, the Santa Maria Fairgrounds and a couple of private ranches are the shelter locations.

The meeting was adjourned at 1949 (7:49 pm).

Respectfully submitted,

Susan McElhinney, Secretary